Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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It's daylight savings time, so let's turn back the clock ... to four years ago when the state was still contending with the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a silver lining of sorts to those awful days – a huge influx of federal funds to keep the economy going. And state senators met on how to spend that glut of money with plans to finally make Nebraska a more attractive destination for new residents, and a place where more tourists will spend their vacation cash. Lawmakers even had a flashy name f...
The University of Nebraska would do less cutting-edge medical research, lay off employees and lose top scientists if deep federal cuts backed by President Donald Trump’s administration take effect, say university leaders. In interviews, NU President Dr. Jeffrey Gold and leaders at the University of Nebraska Medical Center portrayed the proposed cuts as a dark cloud hanging over local researchers and noted they would prove even more painful if coupled with potential state budget cuts. “As sad as it is to say, if this is sustained over a long per...
Gov. Jim Pillen testified before the Nebraska Legislature's Education Committee, Monday, in favor of LB303, which aims to provide Nebraskans with additional property tax relief by altering the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act. Sen. Jana Hughes introduced LB303 at the governor's request. TEEOSA has been Nebraska's school funding formula since 1990. Its primary function is to provide state equalization aid to those schools where the needs exceed budget resources. During his...
LINCOLN - The Nebraska Legislature wrapped up bill introductions and began committee hearings in the third week of its 2025 session, including proposals to display the Ten Commandments in public schools, end tenure for state university faculty and eliminate online voter registration. Lawmakers can introduce bills during the first 10 days of the legislative session, which ended Jan. 22. In total, senators introduced 715 bills and 29 resolutions. Bill introductions on Jan. 21 and 22 included legislation dealing with several controversial issues....
They're known as The Greatest Generation. On Friday, six Nebraskans who served in World War II were recognized at the Holt County Courthouse Annex in O'Neill. Each received a medal and certificate marking the 80th anniversary of WWII's end, part of a program introduced by Gov. Jim PIllen and the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs. Bernard Hoffman, of Chambers, and John Schultz, of O'Neill, attended the ceremony. John Hilgert, NDVA director; Scott Menish, O'Neill mayor; and Ken Stenka,...
LINCOLN – In its second week of the 2025 session, the 109th Nebraska Legislature hosted Gov. Jim Pillen for the State of the State address where he outlined his priorities for the upcoming 90 days, alongside a week's worth of bill introductions. Pillen addressed the Legislature Jan. 15, outlining his main priorities for the upcoming session, adopting a winner-take-all system for the Nebraska Electoral College, minimizing government expenditures and reevaluating public school funding. In his s...
When the clock struck midnight on New Year's Day, several new laws, as well as ballot initiative proclamations signed by Governor Jim Pillen, went into effective. The one exception: the paid sick leave initiative. It will go into effect Oct. 1. Minimum wage increases to $13.50 per hour. The increase was part of the scheduled increases outlined in the Nebraska Minimum Wage Statute Initiative, passed by voters in 2022. The first increase bumped the state's minimum wage from $9 per hour to $10.50...
8 was an excellent year for Nebraska. We stood strong for property tax relief, took steps to grow agricultural production, and protected our children and values. Kids In 2024, we took steps to protect children by signing LB 1092 into law. This bill protects our kids from the scourge of online pornography and oversexualization by requiring age verification to access pornographic websites. As a result of this legislation, Pornhub, the leading distributor of online pornography, ceased offering...
Years ago, I had the pleasure of covering the dedication of a new, $17-million bridge spanning the Missouri River east of Niobrara. The bridge was named after Chief Standing Bear, whose people, the Poncas, once ruled over that area of northeast Nebraska. Standing Bear, known for winning a federal judge's declaration that Native Americans were "persons" under the law, is buried nearby. But the structure, and another bridge built farther east across the Missouri, were dubbed the "Bridges to...
District Judge Mark Johnson will retire after a law career spanning more than four decades. The Nebraska Supreme Court recently announced Johnson's retirement, which is effective Jan. 15. In his retirement announcement to Gov. Jim Pillen, Johnson said, "It has been a distinct honor and privilege to have served as district judge of the Seventh Judicial of the State of Nebraska since April 24, 2013." The judge thanked courthouse staff for their "help, humor and assistance every day in such a...
Justin Harris could use the money. The McCook farmer and businessman is already behind on last year’s property taxes, and still owes $3,200 that’s growing with interest. And Harris is also missing out on a tax rebate thanks to a much-misunderstood change that Nebraska lawmakers made earlier this year. It’s costing him $1,300 – money he could have nabbed had he paid his property taxes by Dec. 31, 2023. “There was no chance for us to be able to take advantage of that discount because we're living paycheck to paycheck,” he said. The vast majori...
Governor Jim Pillen led Nebraska’s trade delegation to Germany on Sunday, kicking off the second phase of the state trade mission to Europe. The mission to Germany follows three event-packed days in the Czech Republic, which concluded with a reception for University of Nebraska alumni on Saturday evening in Prague. “In the last few days, we’ve met with German companies doing business in Nebraska,” said Gov. Pillen. “We’re discussing how each company can have a greater impact in our state. Everyone we’ve met in Germany absolutely loves the peo...
Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Funke has been named Nebraska's next Chief Justice as current Chief Justice Mike Heavican retires at the end of the month. At a news conference held on Oct. 25, Governor Jim Pillen announced the appointment, with Chief Justice Heavican, Lt. Governor Joe Kelly, and Justice Funke's family present at the podium. Funke expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent the entire state in his new role. He has served on the state's Supreme Court for the last eight year...
Here's a rundown of three of those ballot issues, a referendum to repeal a private school voucher law and the pair concerning medical marijuana: In one of the more hotly contested issues in recent years, voters will decide whether to repeal, or retain, a controversial law was passed earlier this year that allows the State Treasurer to administer a scholarship program to private and parochial K-12 schools that was funded with $10 million of state funds. Legislative Bill 1402 served to replace a l...
Nebraska doesn't get many national headlines about politics, but a recent, last-minute push by major Republicans to get the state to ditch its unique system of awarding electoral votes for president did just that. Former President Donald Trump and leading GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham were among those applying the pressure recently to return to a "winner-take-all" system. Only Nebraska and Maine don't give all of its electoral votes to the statewide winner of the popular vote for president. Instead, N...
The State of Nebraska has more than 200 boards and commissions staffed by professionals and regular citizens. They deal with a broad range of subjects, from the recently-created Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementia Advisory Council and State Child Death Review Team, to more recognizable boards, such as the Board of Parole and Board of Trustees for State Colleges. The governor gets to appoint members to many of these boards and the appointments often go to supporters of the governor and people...
Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., was formally installed, Sept. 5, as the ninth president of the University of Nebraska System during an academic ceremony in Lincoln. The event marked exactly 10 years to the day and hour from his year as chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2014 and exactly five years from his year as chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2019. It was also the first time a presidential investiture was held at the Nebraska State Capitol. "The ceremony...
Chief Justice Mike Heavican is retiring October 31, after 18 years of service on the bench. In his retirement letter, addressed to Governor Jim Pillen, Heavican thanked former Gov. Dave Heineman for his intial appointment. "I am grate that the citizens of Nebraska reaffirmed that appointment three times at the ballot box," Heavican wrote. He noted accomplishments of the state's judges, court staff, probation officers and other judicial branch employees. "Although there have been many changes...
State lawmakers have long since finished their long, 17-day special session in Lincoln and headed back home. The summer session unfolded as a lot of people, including me, expected - a lot of ideas for reducing property taxes were discussed, but only a small, incremental change, one that will result in a 3% drop in property taxes for some taxpayers, was passed. As we've discussed before, reducing property taxes, while a noble and needed move, is a complicated task and requires an adept hike...
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen says he has no plans to call the Legislature back into special session this year to consider additional property tax relief after final passage Tuesday of a pared-down proposal. Rather than rush lawmakers back to Lincoln for more changes yet this year, as the governor discussed during bill negotiations, he said he would wait until the next regular session begins in January. He also repeated his stance that he does not expect to call a special session for shifting the...
The Legislature’s General Affairs Committee took a half step Monday toward letting the public vote on the future of online sports betting in Nebraska. But the committee’s decision to punt a companion bill means any vote will likely wait until after the November election. The amended version of Legislative Resolution 3CA stopped short of letting voters decide the issue all at once. Instead, they would be asked to give the Legislature the constitutional authority to decide the issue. The amendment from State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, a Democr...
Summer is usually a relaxing time in Lincoln. College students have left, state lawmakers have gone home, the weather gets hot, the backyard tomatoes get ripe, and the biggest debate around town is whether this is the year the Huskers become relevant again in football. Optimism always abounds in the pre-season, before the first kickoff. But not sure the same optimism accompanies the special session Gov. Jim Pillen has convened to address the state's traditionally high property taxes. Every...
As introduced, Gov. Jim Pillen’s core property tax relief proposal could fall short by $139 million in annual estimated revenue needed. Pillen’s main proposal, introduced through Legislative Bill 1 in the special session, includes placing a sales tax on more than 100 currently tax-exempt goods and services. It would also raise seven “sin” taxes, on candy and soft drinks, vapes, cigarettes, keno gambling, spirits, consumable hemp and games of skill. In total, the new or increased taxes would raise an estimated $1.15 billion in the first full fis...
By the time you read this, state senators are expected to be trudging back to Lincoln for a special session on property tax relief. The word "trudging" reflects the general distaste senators have for special sessions, which disrupts the lives of these part-time, underpaid ($12,000 a year plus all you can eat and drink) lawmakers. Generally, special sessions are called to address emergencies, such as a court ruling that renders laws or taxes untenable, or an economic downturn that requires...
Every candidate for governor always promises two things – to cut property taxes, and eliminate the “waste” in state spending. Both of those pledges are awfully easy to make -- and play well on a TV ad -- and much harder to achieve. Current Gov. Jim Pillen is finding that out this year with his property tax reduction ideas. But he’s adopted a different tactic in cutting the fat from state spending by hiring a high-priced consultant to suggest reductions. He enlisted Epiphany Associates, a Utah-ba...
